Jimmy once said that the Braddock's were always fighters. He stated his dad was a handy fellow with his fists in the old country and he used to hang around the boxing booths at the county fairs and stiffen those pound-a-round pros. He even bragged that he knocked out a horse with a single blow between the eyes one time. Jimmy always suspected his old man picked on a pony, though, and he spoke of it with a laugh. Of course his uncle Jim was a well known rough and tumble fighter in Ireland so it's in the Braddock bloodline.

Here's the rub. In 1942 the United States was at war. Now what's a red-blooded, all- American Irish bloke who's considered a hero supposed to do for his county during a time like that? If Uncle Sam had anything to say about it, he and his manager were going to be role models for every eighteen year old lad who didn't have flat feet in the entire country. All Jimmy had to do was explain this to Mae. Would there be a better way than to spirit her up to the Catskills for a second honeymoon?

Mae's sister watched the kids for a few days and the two of them took the drive up to a small lakeside resort in upstate New York. He didn't hint about him and Joe enlisting in the Army and she'd have no idea. He was in his late thirties now and surely far too old to be drafted into the service.

They had a new car and Mae sat up close to him like they were a couple of teenagers. New York was beautiful that time of year and they'd left early in the morning.

"Jimmy, look, deer. Lots of them," Mae pointed to a grazing herd of white tail on the side of the road.

"Ain't dey beautiful, baby?"

"They sure are. I wish the kids could get a chance to see them. You think we could bring them up here, maybe later this summer?"

Now he was stuck. In a few short weeks he'd be up here alright, training at Fort Slocum but his wife and kids wouldn't be with him.

"We'll talk about it." There, that ought to do it for now.

"I'm serious. It's been a long time since we've hadda vacation together. I think we should do something. Maybe the Poconos would work."

He could only hope she'd let this rest until they'd had a day or two together. "Hey, Mae. I think there's a flock of turkeys over there. Looka!" He quickly pointed to the right and feeling pretty proud of himself he dropped his arm around her shoulders.

"Shoot, baby. I think I missed them."

"Ya want I should turn around?"

"Naw. Let's just get to the cabin. Maybe we could fool around a little in the after-noon like we usta, huh?"

Jimmy laughed wryly. "Now you're talking."

It didn't take them long to get to the wonderful wooded resort. During the forties the Catskills were the place for family vacations on the east coast and Mae and Jimmy had spent their first honeymoon there. They'd come often with friends during the years but this was the first time they'd returned alone. There was a lot of romantic potential on this little woodsy wander as long as it happened before Jimmy dropped the bomb.

They had the same cabin they always stayed in. It was lakeside with a screened-in porch and an outdoor stone grill. The place never changed. It always smelled of clean linen and beach towels, charcoal and citronella candles. The propane gas bottles for the stove were never empty and the windows were never open when they arrived, but for some reason it always felt like a home away from home.

Jimmy parked the car and Mae reached around to the back seat to get her favorite blanket to bring in while he grabbed a Styrofoam cooler full of food they'd brought. Walking side by side to the door felt like old times except they did finally notice that they were alone. Jimmy set the cooler down on the lawn and winked at Mae. She raised a shoulder and winked back. Within seconds Mae was running for the main bedroom of the cabin with Jimmy in hot pursuit. The rest is a little private.

The sound of the steak sizzling and its enticing smell provided little distraction for Jimmy as he gazed over at the woman he'd just made love to, twice. She lay back in one of those white-washed wooden chairs with her hair let down. Mae still had a body to die for. How could she look so good after those lean years and having three kids and all?

He shoveled the big T-bone onto a plate and carried it over to her. "Here you go, honey. Nice and rare, just like you like it. That's my idea of a good steak and you're my idea of a good wife. I just wanna say tanks for everything, Mae. For da kids, for puttin up with me, for everything."

Mae balanced the plate on her lap and gave him a withering look. "Jimmy, ya know I love you more than anythin' but what do you want, baby? What are you tryin' to tell me?"

Here goes nothing, he thought as he knelt down in front of her. He took the plate off her lap and placed it on the table beside her.

"Mae." He paused for a moment. "Me and Joe, we joined the Army. Gonna ship out in a coupla weeks."

She frowned then smiled then frowned then smiled. "April fools, right, Jimmy? Happy Dingus day?"

"It's June."

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, baby. Joe was thinkin'..."

"God damn it, Jimmy. How did I know Joe Gould was behind this? It's another one of his publicity stunts? It is, isn't it? Fuck this, Jimmy."

"Mae Fox Braddock, I never heard ya talk like dat before. It ain't nothing. We's just gonna do it to encourage some of the young boys to join up to help the war effort, ya know?"

Mae stood up and pushed him back away from her. "What if one of those boys was our son, Jimmy? Then how'd ya feel? What if Jay or Howie was goin' to fight in the war?"

He tried to put his arms around her but she'd have no part of it. "Mae, you gotta understand. I'd be proud of them. Look at the Sullivan boys."

"Yeah, and look at their mama cryin'."

"Ah, for Christ's sake, Mae."

The fight didn't end there but just like Mae couldn't stop Jimmy from fighting in the ring, she didn't stop him from doing his bit for his country. It wasn't like he actually got into any combat situations but he did his part. They made amends as usual and shortly after he left for Fort Slocum, New York, Mae got her first letter.

Dearest Mae,

I can't tell you how much I miss you, baby. I'll be home shortly for a week before I go off to Saipan.

Joe and I got commissioned already as first lieutenants in the transportation corps. I guess that's a fancy name for a truck driver or something like that. I don't know how we managed to move up in rank so quick because Joe went and shot Sergeant Bender by mistake when we was doing some exercise the other day. There was some guy from the war office taking pictures when it happened but I don't think you'll be seeing it in the paper anytime soon. The photographer was laughing; he said Joe might give the Jerry's or Tojo the wrong idea.

How's the kids doing? Is Rosie behaving for you? Is Jay taking care of things like he should be? Make sure Howie gets all of those beetles off the roses, okay?

Tell them I love them and I miss them. Mae, baby, I miss you and I love you.

Your loving husband,

Lieutenant James J. Braddock

Her next ten letters would come from Saipan, and thank God no one else would get shot by Joe Gould.

Chapter 5 Epilogue